Karl Johann Kautsky was a Czech-Austrian philosopher, journalist, and Marxist theoretician. Kautsky was one of the most authoritative promulgators of orthodox Marxism after the death of Friedrich Engels in 1895 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. He was the most important socialist theorist during the years of the Second International.

In The Road to Power, Kautsky argues that the time for revolution has not yet passed. Kautsky argues that the revolutionary energy of the bourgeoisie was channeled by Bismarck into project to throw "a few German princes from their thrones", overthrow the French Empire and support for Italian unification. Kautsky continues to point out that in 1904 he predicted that workers would revolt in Russia, joining with the bourgeoisie to establish representative government. He proceeds to note and predict a continuation of a political awakening China, India, Egypt, Morocco, Persia and Turkey. He predicts that violent revolution is unlikely in Europe because of the strength of modern armies, except in Russia. Finally, Kautsky argues that Marxism is a historical determinism because the will itself is not free.

The Road to Power had a large impact on the Bolsheviks and was used to justify the October Revolution.